Patient lifts are commonly used in hospitals and other care centers, as well as in the homes of those with mobility impairments, to convey people and/or equipment to different areas, for example from a bed to a bathroom or from a bed to a chair. Patient lifts permit the movement of the individual with far decreased effort on the part of the caregiver, all while helping to preserve the comfort and dignity of the immobile individual. Patient lifts can be used in hospitals, nursing facilities, hospices, and homes or any type of environment where healthcare services are provided and patient handling is needed.
One type of patient lift includes ceiling lifts. Ceiling lifts use ceiling hoist technology, which hoists the person from above using various forms of hoists. One form of such a ceiling lift is a lift that is able to travel on one or more tracks that are suspended from the ceiling or other elevated structure. These lifts include fixed ceiling lifts, where the track is affixed to the ceiling and lifting assembly is directly attached to the track, and portable ceiling lifts, where the lift assembly is removably attached to the ceiling track or a member attached to the ceiling track. Some examples of such lifts are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,491 to Faucher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,412 to Faucher et al., and U.S. Publication No. 2011/0000015 to Faucher et al., each incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. In the example shown in U.S. Publication No. 2011/0000015, the components of the assembly may communicate power and data between them, utilizing a control unit mounted on a wall or elsewhere, and it would be advantageous to provide a flexible load-bearing member between the patient-support portion and the ceiling track that would minimize the presence of extra wires and/or other external components that may clutter or otherwise impair desirable efficiency, functionality, and aesthetics.
The invention provides an improved patient lift for moving patients.